Chapter 301: The Ruin That Conceals Glory

Lady Rongguo Prefecture, East Courtyard, Yingsong Hall.

When the Sun family of Datong fell into poverty, their patriarch Sun Sun Zhanying had courted favor with the Marquis of Lady Rongguo; Jia She had met Sun Sun Zhanying several times and had heard of his eldest son, Sun Shaoming.

But the name Sun Sun Shaorong was entirely unfamiliar to him.

The young man before him was in his twenties, tall and robust, with a straight nose, broad mouth, slightly protruding cheekbones, and eyes that gleamed with sharpness and competence.

After some polite exchange, Sun Sun Shaorong produced a letter written in Sun Sun Zhanying's own hand, and only then did Jia She learn that Sun Sun Shaorong was Sun Sun Zhanying's third son.

In families with hereditary military posts, only the eldest son could inherit the position; as Sun Sun Shaorong was the third son, he had no claim to it.

He currently held no official post in Datong and had always disliked the frontier town's remoteness, merely envying the splendor of the imperial capital.

Sun Sun Zhanying had found a way to get his son listed as a candidate in the Ministry of War, but countless others were similarly listed, and only a few ever secured actual appointments.

Sun Sun Zhanying could get his son onto the candidate list, but lacked the connections to secure him a real post—hence this letter, asking Jia She for help.

The Sun family held hereditary military power in Datong, with deep-rooted influence there; eliminating a prisoner in custody was no difficult matter.

When Jia She mentioned this, Sun Sun Shaorong's unease was plain to see; he had known the full background before arriving, and this knowledge bolstered his confidence.

Earlier, when Sun Sun Shaorong first arrived, Jia She had merely offered vague reassurances; now that the Sun family had resolved such a grave threat for him, he genuinely wished to help secure an appointment for the young man.

Jia She heard this and felt a surge of wild joy—he hadn't even had time to speak when the man suddenly died; that meant no witnesses, no evidence, and he had narrowly escaped disaster.

Moreover, the Sun family had done such things more than once; for any reason, they had ample motive to silence Xu Can.

Sun Sun Shaorong added: "Father also instructed me to convey to you, Uncle, that the Sun family will settle all loose ends in Datong, but during this period, business must cease until the current storm passes."

Hearing that Sun Sun Zhanying would handle the aftermath in Datong, Jia She felt utterly free of worry; his spirits lifted, and he readily promised to help Sun Sun Shaorong secure a post.

Sun Sun Shaorong smiled faintly, his eyes glinting with cunning; he glanced around, and Jia She understood, dismissing the maidservants serving tea in the hall.

He told me to pass this message to you, Uncle: although Xu Can was imprisoned, he had not yet said much—somehow, he suddenly died in prison… of a sudden collapse!"

He said: "As for your candidacy, nephew, rest assured—I will do everything in my power."

…

Sun Sun Shaorong smiled and said: "Before I left Datong, Father personally told me there were matters he could not commit to writing."

Jia She's face changed at the name; he stared at Sun Sun Shaorong in surprise.

Moreover, Jia She's illicit trade relied entirely on his ties to the Sun family of Datong, which had long been entangled in his dealings.

Recently, travelers from the north have said the Nine Provinces Commander is inspecting Datong, and several officers have been implicated—nephew, you've just come from Datong; have you heard of this?"

Jia She was currently consumed by anguish over Xu Can's arrest; he had no energy to help anyone secure an appointment.

But his business in Datong was closely tied to the Sun family, who knew his secrets inside out—he dared not offend them lightly.

Yet Jia She was no stranger to the world; he quickly realized what was meant, his face paling: sudden collapse? It must have been murder by the Sun family.

The Lady Rongguo Jia family is a mighty noble house of the Zhou dynasty, with old allies scattered throughout the court; Uncle is a towering figure, with influence reaching every corner—nephew begs you to exert yourself on my behalf regarding the Ministry of War candidacy."

Holding his teacup, he sipped slowly and said: "Indeed, several officers have been implicated—did you mean Xu Hongchang, the Assistant Regional Commander of Datong?"

Regardless, with Xu Can dead, the scandal of his illicit trade in Datong was finally buried; thinking of this, Jia She exhaled in relief, feeling like a man who had narrowly escaped death.

After all, he and the Sun family were now on the same boat; cultivating their alliance remained essential.

…

Sun Sun Shaorong was not the eldest son; he had spent his life living under his elder brother's shadow, his family's hereditary military post inherited by his brother, leaving him with nothing.

He was a spiteful, vengeful man, yet shrewd and skilled at pleasing Sun Sun Zhanying—otherwise, why would Sun Sun Zhanying have gone to such lengths to get him listed in the Ministry of War?

Sun Sun Shaorong had always envied the splendor of the imperial capital, determined to remain in the capital as a court official, to outshine his elder brother and vent his resentment.

Thus, he was deeply invested in securing a real post in the Ministry of War.

He noticed Jia She was thoroughly satisfied with the matter of Xu Can, and seized the moment, pulling a five-thousand-silver-note from his sleeve and sliding it across the table to Jia She.

Jia She's eyes lit up at the sight of the note, yet he said: "Nephew, what is the meaning of this?"

Sun Sun Shaorong laughed: "The capital is not Datong—here, even a scrap of paper is precious. To have Uncle arrange my appointment will inevitably involve expenses for favors and gifts; how could I let you bear the cost?

These are merely for your hospitality and courtesies—please, Uncle, do not refuse them."

Jia She laughed heartily: "Nephew, you are far too courteous."

With his greatest threat eliminated and five thousand taels of silver added to his coffers, Jia She was in high spirits; he found Sun Sun Shaorong increasingly agreeable—the young man was sharp, articulate, and considerate.

…

Sun Sun Shaorong asked: "Uncle, my father asked me to inquire: what progress has been made regarding the Firearm Bureau? After all, its director is your own son…"

Jia She's heart leapt at this; he had just escaped one disaster and was still shaken—he dared not touch anything related to firearms.

Since last year, when the Five Armies' firearm troops were stationed in Liaodong and demonstrated their power on the battlefield, many had taken notice.

Among them were powerful figures and factions eager to uncover the secrets of firearms; since the director of the Firearm Bureau was Jia She's own son, many turned their eyes toward him.

Last year, Sun Sun Zhanying had asked Jia She to mediate, so Jia She had urged Jia Jia Qiang to enter the firearm workshop and had sent Jia Lady Lian to plead with Jia Cong—but Jia Cong, ever cautious, had refused outright.

After that incident, Jia She abandoned the idea; he and Jia Cong had long since broken as father and son, and Jia Cong had grown increasingly outstanding, making Jia She instinctively avoid him.

So he said: "Nephew, though the director of the Firearm Bureau is my son, the court strictly controls firearms; anyone entering the bureau or its workshops undergoes rigorous scrutiny—the risk is too great. I am powerless."

…

Lady Rongguo Prefecture, Qingzhi Studio.

The qingtong trees in the courtyard had sprouted many tender leaves; the row of bamboo planted along the Fen wall had shed its deep winter green, now tinged with the pale emerald of spring.

Today's sunlight was bright, and many robes and dresses hung out to dry; judging by the weather, spring garments would soon be exchanged.

Xue Baochai, accompanied by Ying'er, entered Qingzhi Studio carrying boxes of gifts.

Just then, Zhi Shao emerged from the main chamber, wearing a light purple brocade jacket with a white round-collar tunic and a pale moon-white embroidered long skirt, standing graceful and elegant.

Seeing Xue Baochai and her maid, she smiled and stepped forward: "Miss Bao has come—do come inside."

Xue Baochai smiled: "Zhi Shao, no need for formalities. My brother just returned from the north and brought some local specialties—I've brought some for you to try."

Since arriving at the Jia residence, Xue Baochai had often heard talk of the people in Jia Cong's quarters; after all, those few were among the most outstanding in the household, and rumors about Zhi Shao were the most numerous.

They said she had served Jia Cong since childhood, was his most favored attendant, had even received gifts from the Empress, and that even Grandmother Jia treated her with special regard, granting her a monthly allowance equal to that of the young ladies.

Xue Baochai was meticulous and thoughtful, and since she cared deeply for Jia Cong, she naturally extended her courtesy to his inner circle.

"These are dried apricots, fruit preserves, yellow millet, and matsutake mushrooms from Datong, along with several high-quality Korean white ginseng roots—these are excellent for daily tonics, perfect for keeping Brother Cong healthy."

"And a box of fine Balin stone—he can use it when writing poetry or calligraphy…"

Xue Baochai listed every gift, explaining each one's use, as if she had planned in advance exactly how Jia Cong should use them—she sounded almost like a household mistress.

Xue Baochai spoke with growing enthusiasm, only to notice Zhi Shao listening intently, her cheeks faintly flushed.

After a few more pleasantries, Zhi Shao and Qingwen fetched two bottles of imperial wine as reciprocation—gifts from the palace, awarded after Jia Cong's military achievements.

Xue Baochai thanked them profusely, smiling: "We don't drink much at home—only when guests come do we have a little."

A thought crossed her mind, and she added: "I've heard the eldest master of the East Courtyard favors such refined drinks—I suppose Brother Cong often presents them to him."

Qingwen, ever quick-tongued, replied: "Our Cong Sanye moved to the West Courtyard; Grandmother set the protocol—he only pays morning and evening respects to the Second Master and his Lady!"

The remark sounded sharp, even biting.

When Qingwen first became Jia Cong's maid, he had just been severely beaten by Jia She.

The little maid still remembered that grudge; though Jia She was the eldest master, she, as a maid, dared not overstep.

But her nature was fiery, clear in her likes and dislikes, and she pitied Jia Cong for his past suffering—so every mention of Jia She inevitably drew some sharp remark from her.

Xue Baochai was extremely perceptive; having heard of the estrangement between Jia Cong and his father, she understood at once from Qingwen's tone.

Brother Cong only pays respects to his aunt and uncle—he's raised in the Second Branch, as distant from the East Courtyard as Seeing Yingchun; it's no surprise, given the feud between father and son.

Since the day Xue Baochai heard from her brother that the man had been smuggling salt, tea, and iron into Datong, she had feared Jia Cong might be dragged into it through familial ties.

That was why she had deliberately raised the question of whether Jia Cong sent imperial wine to Jia She; hearing Qingwen's reply, she knew the father and son were strangers, with no contact between them—she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

(End of Chapter)